Phoenix has been awarded a $35,000 technical assistance grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to advance the use of green infrastructure techniques in municipal stormwater management.
Green infrastructure uses vegetation and soil to manage rainwater where it falls, keeping polluted stormwater from entering sewer systems and our rivers and washes. Funding will be used to evaluate methods to encourage green infrastructure in city codes, ordinances, and practices, focusing on techniques and challenges unique to the arid southwest.
“Green infrastructure practices protect water quality and provide community benefits including job creation and neighborhood revitalization,” Mayor Greg Stanton said. The project is the collaborative effort of several city departments – the Office of Environmental Programs, Water Services, Parks and Recreation, and Planning and Development. The Arizona State University Sustainable Cities Network and the Watershed Management Group are also part of the project team.
Communities are increasingly using green infrastructure to supplement or substitute for more traditional infrastructure investments such as pipes, filters and ponds. Effective green infrastructure tools and techniques include green roofs, permeable materials, alternative designs for streets and buildings, trees, rain gardens and rain harvesting systems.
Phoenix is one of 17 communities that were chosen in a nationwide competition to receive technical assistance directly from an EPA contractor. For more information, visit epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure or call 602-256-5669.
Press release from the following source:http://www.phoenix.gov/news/072712greengrant.html/
The Network collaborated with, and provided assistance for the City of Phoenix by endorsing the city for the EPA grant in a letter of support. Receiving this grant is an accomplishment for the city as well as The Network.
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